The Austin Community College Foundation is receiving a $225,000 donation from Kinnser Software, a leading home-health software provider, to support students in ACC’s nursing programs. Over the next five years, the funds will provide 90 associate degree nursing (RN) and licensed vocational nursing students $2,500 scholarships.

“Kinnser Software’s generosity will have a tremendous impact on students by helping them achieve their goals,” says Edwina Carrington, chair of the ACC Foundation. “In addition, this donation will benefit our community and the healthcare industry by ensuring a pipeline of skilled workers.”

Each year, ACC produces hundreds of nursing graduates with extensive classroom, laboratory, and clinical experience. In the 2009-10 year, the overall licensure pass rate for ACC’s associate degree nursing and vocational nursing graduates was 100 percent.

“Going to school and being a single mother of three children is a constant struggle,” says Sarah Foti, one of 10 students who received Kinnser Software scholarship funds for fall 2011. “This scholarship is a blessing to me and my children.”

Demand for talented nurses continues to grow at a faster rate than the average for all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“When I founded Kinnser Software, I had a primary goal – to provide software that will help nurses and their home-health agencies overcome the challenges they face in their daily work lives,” says Christopher Hester, president of Kinnser Software. “Now, with the Kinnser Scholars Program, we are excited to help nurses acquire the funds necessary for their education, which is often the first challenge many face before they can enter the profession.”

For more information on the Kinnser Software Scholarship, visit the ACC Foundation webpage.